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Carlisle

 

Name: Michael Boaden

Party: Labour

Contact details: johnmckaylabour@gmail.com


This candidate as not yet responded please complete the e-action form and ask them to reply to our 5 pledges.

Name: John Stevenson

Party: Conservative

Contact details: woodville@btinternet.com


This candidate as not yet responded please complete the e-action form and ask them to reply to our 5 pledges.

Name: Stephen Tweedie

Party: Lid Dem

Contact details: stephentweedie@yahoo.co.uk


This candidate as not yet responded please complete the e-action form and ask them to reply to our 5 pledges.

Name: John Readon

Party: Green

Contact details: jbreadon75@hotmail.com


The Green Party position is very clear: no cuts to public services and a living wage for all. I'm proud to be standing on a platform of public services, not least because I'm a public sector workers and union rep myself. I fully support each of your proposals and in many instances would go further.
 
Here are my responses to your specific questions. 
 
1) I pledge to work to ensure that public services are properly resourced and delivered by the public sector and that there are no further local office closures, public sector job cuts or privatisations.
 

Yes. No to privatisation of the selling off of any public assets. Not only is this morally wrong but it undermines the very nature of public service and the public sector. 
 
2) I pledge to support measures aimed at closing the UK tax gap including recruiting HMRC staff and ensuring tax loopholes are closed.


Yes. For example, the government has refused to deal with closing down the tax haven of Jersey - despite repeated requests from islanders to do so! Greens would tackle this and close down all loopholes as part of a properly progressive tax system.

3) I pledge to support civil service national pay bargaining and to press the government to offer pay increases to public sector works at least in line with inflation.


Yes. We would also restore negotiating rights for teachers, for example.

4) I pledge to honour the 2005 commitment on public sector pensions and defend the rights of existing members of the civil service compensation scheme.


Yes

5) I pledge to campaign to ensure any changes to public services are only made after proper equality impact assessments have been conducted and their findings implemented.


Yes. No to any cuts or reduction of public services.
 
I would welcome any opportunity to speak to local members in Carlisle.
 

Name: Michael Owen

Party: UKIP

Contact details: michaelowen@yahoo.co.uk


This candidate as not yet responded please complete the e-action form and ask them to reply to our 5 pledges.

Name: John Metcalf

Party: Trade Union & Socialist Alliance

Contact details: vote4john@hotmail.com

Pledge 1.
I strongly believe in public services free from the interference of contracting out and privatisation. There should be an immediate halt to any type of office closure, and budgets protected from cuts. As always, the public sector is being targetted as an easy victim of public expenditure cutbacks, whereas the reality is that ever increasing numbers of the public need fully resourced and skilled civil and public services.
Pledge 2.
To allow tax evasion, tax havens and avoidance by the rich, whilst claiming budgetary presures is absolute madness. Anyone can see that the loopholes need closing, tax needs collecting, and you cannot hope to do that by throwing 25000 HMRC staff on the scapheap, and closing offices. It must end immediately. That way ordinary working people can be protected from the planned massive spending cuts and unneeded job losses.
Pledge 3.
Many civil servants earn very low wages. Its vital to have at the very least the safety net of a minimum yearly increase of RPI to their incomes. Anything less is an enforced cut in living standards. This should be the bedrock of meaningful collective civil service pay bargaining.
Pledge 4.
The current dispute on civil service pensions and the 2005 committment to the compensation scheme is all about a cynical move to cut the future costs of job losses to the government. Any employer of any decency would not provoke such a dispute, and would honour the agreement. Unfortunately the current government is anything but honourable. I would defend and support the PCS stance on this matter.
Pledge 5.
Equality is vital in the workplace to combat issues such as bullying and harrassment. Procedures such as Equality Impact Assessments are an important tool in providing a fair and equal working environment for all. Such procedures must be carried out by fully trained assessors, and their findings implemented in an auditable way. You should expect nothing less from the public services.